Pull Ups and Paperclips
by LogicBomb.32
Summary: AU Brittana. Santana's in Iraq, serving in the US Marines, and with eighty-one days left until her discharge, she feels like she's loosing her mind. But a letter from her girl makes her day a little brighter.


**Title: Pull Ups and Paperclips**

**Author: Logicbomb.32 **

**Ships: Pre-established Brittana and some Puck-Santana friendship. **

**Summary: Santana's in Iraq, serving in the US Marines, and with eighty-one days left until her discharge, she feels like she's loosing her mind. But a letter from her girl makes her day a little brighter. **

**Authors Note: Hey! So I've been doing a lot of writing lately and, well, here it is again. Another AU Brittana fic for you all to enjoy!**

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><p><strong>The prompt: Santana's in Iraq and Brittany is back home. Brittany sends a letter to her love to remind her what she has to look forward to when she gets home.<strong>

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><p>Beads of sweat were rolling slowly down her face as she grit her teeth in determination. Her muscles here burning and her lungs felt like they were about to explode, never since boot camp had she been in this much pain. Unless of course you counted that one time, with Brittany and the strap on…damn…had she been sore. She closed her eyes, grinning grimly at the thought of her girlfriend, halfway around the world, probably asleep right now.<p>

_Blond hair splayed out across the pillow, hand curled around the tail of Lord Tubbington II as the other disappeared under the pile of pillows. From the doorway Santana stood, leaning against the frame enjoying the sight of seeing her girlfriend in the flesh for the first time in eight months. She was exhausted and dirty and all together worn out, but nothing would take her away from this moment. _

_She wasn't supposed to be home for another forty-eight hours but she had managed to se a few favors and sweet talk Second Lieutenant Noah Puckerman into giving her the earlier flight stateside. So here she was, standing in their bedroom, still in uniform, watching her girlfriend sleep. Nothing in her wildest dreams could compare to this feeling. _

An explosion of cheering dragged Sergeant Major Santana Lopez back to the present as she saw First Sergeant Dave Karofsky let go of the pull-up bar and fall to the ground. She smiled triumphantly, hanging on for a few more seconds just to shove it in the lower ranking officer. Dropping to the ground she offered an aching hand to help him up and he accepted it, shaking his head "I don't know how you do it Lopez."

Santana laughed, brushing a sweaty strand of hair out of her face and tucking her equally sweat t-shirt back into her combat pants "I workout just to beat you." She said.

"And for that girl of yours back home." Came a third voice and both Lopez and Karofsky turned around to see Warrant Officer Quinn Fabray walking past.

Upon habit they both straightened up and saluted their superior officer, but Santana could help but roll her eyes slightly an a smile twitched at the corners of her lips "At ease you two." Quinn said "Did you lose again Karofsky?" she asked

"Yeah he did." Santana said "Got himself another week of night duty."

Betting was generally off limits to the soldiers, but friendly competition often broke out and so the soldiers wagered whatever they had, in this case, guard rotations. This was the fifth consecutive time that Karofsky had lost to Santana in a pull up contest, the outranking Latina had a reputation and he was determined to break her winning streak.

Too bad it was never going to happen.

"You can join Hudson, got caught making out with Rachel again and got himself some night duty as well." She said, and only Santana noticed the jealous grimace that fluttered across her face at the mention.

Santana and Quinn had been in boot camp together and bonded over being the best in their assigned units. However their relationship had taken a turn for the worst when Quinn got a promotion over Santana but the Latina had gotten over it and slowly the two were building their relationship back to where it had been. This included Quinn sharing the fact she was gay and crushing on First Sergeant Rachel Berry to the out of the closet Latina.

"You two can bond over you glory days." Santana said, grabbing her water bottle from the ground and taking a long drink "You know, former high school superstars and all."

"Yeah yeah." Dave said, shaking his head "You're just jealous."

"Right." Santana said, watching Quinn walked away "You're looking at a high school cheerleader, I had guys like you drooling over me."

"I don't doubt that." Dave muttered and Santana was about the come back with a snarky response when someone else called her name.

"Yo, Lopez!"

She turned and squinted through the sunshine to see Puck, also known as Second Lieutenant Noah Puckerman, calling to her "On my way sir!" she shouted, giving Karofsky a glare before turning and running towards the Puck.

A short time later she arrived at the main building of the military base, sweating more than she had been before "What's up sir?" she asked, standing attention as was protocol.

"At ease." Puck said and smiled , pulling something about from behind his back "You've got mail."

The Second Lieutenant watched as one of his best friends eyes lit up and she reached out for the letter. At the last second he pulled it out of her reach and laughed at her frustration "Not so fast."

"Come on." She said "just give it to me."

"Nah-uh." He said, shaking his head "Not so fast."

"Oh come on Puckerman, just hand it over." She said, that letter was all she wanted right now.

"Ask nicely." He said tauntingly, holding the letter just out of his friends grasp.

"Give Puck or I swear-"

"That sounds like you are threatening a superior officer." Puck said, faking offense "I should report you."

"Before or after I go Lima Heights on your ass." She said, threateningly

"We're in Iraq Santana, Lima Heights has nothing on this dump."

The Latina fell serious, most of the time it was easy to not think about how far away from home she was. On base she had friends and while she trusted them with her life, they weren't Brittany. No one could make up for her girlfriend.

Puck saw this and felt bad, he had didn't have a girlfriend or wife waiting for him back home, and some part of him knew he would never make it as a civilian. But Santana, she had a life back in the states, a girlfriend she wanted to propose to and plans she wanted to make. He knew her pain.

Only on one occasion has Puck ever seen Santana cry and even then it was the last remnants of the escaped tears.

_Santana hadn't heard anyone coming, hoping that her spot was far enough from the barracks and main buildings that no one would find her. Apparently she was wrong because she heard the footsteps and her head whipped to the right. It was Puck and she scrambled to her feet, hastily wiping tears as she did so. _

_But Puck stopped her, placing a hand shoulder and saying "Relax." Santana nodded, sitting back down a looking away from her friend "What's up?" he asked, sitting dow next to her but not touching her. _

"_Nothing." She said "I'm fine." _

"_Cut the shit Santana." Puck replied "I'm not your superior, I'm your friend, what's eating you? _

_The Latina remained silent for a moment before turning to look at Puck, her eyes shining "I miss her." She said, her voice barely above a hoarse whisper._

"_I know." He said, moving closer and wrapping an arm around her shoulders "I know you do. How long until you go home?" _

"_Six days." Santana said "Six days but it feels like an eternity. I missed her birthday and out anniversary, I'm an awful girlfriend." _

"_Wait, wait" Puck said, turning to look down at the Sergeant Major "is this coming from the girl who commandeered the computers for three hours so she could Skype on her girlfriends birthday? And the girl who sent the very same girlfriend different things for a week coming up to their anniversary, spending a fortune on shipping just she could get them all on time?" _

"_Yeah." Santana mumbled _

"_And this is the girl whose girlfriend sends her a letter every week and talks about unicorns and has a cat named Lord Tubbington?" _

"_The second." Santana corrected "Lord Tubbington the second and yeah." _

"_You've got a kick ass girlfriend and you're not half bad." Puck said "I've got a few buddies flying stateside in three days, how about I get you out on that plane?" _

"_That'd be-" Santana said, finding herself lost for words. _

"_Don't mention it." Puck said, standing up "Seriously, don't." _

"_I wont." Santana nodded and watched as her friend started walking back to barracks "Hey Puck." She said _

"_Yeah." He replied, turning around. _

"_Thanks." She said_

"Here" He said, handing her the letter and smiling softer "Enjoy."

She yanked it out of her hands and scowled "Don't get sappy on me Puckerman." But beneath the jab there was a tone of thanks.

"Never fear." He said "Wait until PT next week, I'll kick your ass."

"Yes sir." She said.

She all but sprinted back to her barracks, slamming the door shut and locking it, there was no need for interruptions right now. Santana sank down onto her bed, pushing back the covers and wrapping herself in the thin blankets. Her fingers were shaking as she fumbled to open the envelope, but if that was out of excitement or doing seventy-eight consecutive pull-ups…she had no idea. Probably both.

Letting the envelope drop to the floor Santana held up the letter, trembling fingers pulling the paper apart as her eyes scanned for the first word

_Santana, my love. _

Her heart sped up at the words, hearing Brittany say them as she continued reading the letter

_I miss you. _

_Lord Tubbington II does as well, but I think he misses having someone to hiss and claw at all the time. _

_I wish you were here, I know it doesn't make it any easier for you to be wherever you are when I say that, but I can't help it. There's a package coming for you as well, I won't tell you everything that's inside it but there's a picture from Lord Tubbs and some of that nice shampoo that you said really get's all the sand. _

_Anyway, I picked up a few extra shifts at work and Holly Holiday says that if I keep up the work I'll get to lead the dance camp and classes this summer. I can't wait! When you get back you'll have to come and watch one of my classes, maybe even jump in if you feel like it! I know how much you like dancing, although when you dance for me there's a lot less clothing involved. _

_God, I miss you S. _

_But this time, when you come home, you stay home. Forever. You and me and Tubbs can sit on the couch and watch those stupid movies on Lifetime and have sex for the rest of eternity if we want. Just eighty-six days. _

_Less than that by the time you get this! _

_So I have a job for you while you're there and I'm here: for every day we're apart we both have to list something you want to do when we're together again. That way we have something to look forward to. _

_Stay safe San. _

_Smile more. _

_Love always and forever, _

_Britt._

_AKA the Unicorn_

_AKA your girl_

She didn't realize her whole body was shaking until she finished the letter. She didn't realize the tears where streaming down her face until she tasted the salty drops on her lips. She set the letter down, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them. She felt slightly stupid for breaking down like this, but her letters from Brittany always did this to her. She loved her girl to damn much to be apart from her for this long. Eyeing the envelope, Santana snagged it and dumped out the rest of its contents. Two items fell into her outstretched palm.

The first was a picture.

A picture from when the last time Santana was home on leave. The two of them were in Central Park, mucking about by the fountain when someone offered to take their picture. The two women were so involved in each others worlds that they didn't even notice the picture being taken. It was only when they looked at the photos of their adventure did they see it. The moment, frozen, of Santana wrapping one arm around Brittany's waist, pulling her closer. While Brittany had one hand on Santana's chest, the onther wrapped in her hair and a smile on her face. Both of them looked so happy, so content, it was hard to tell that Santana was leaving that next morning.

The second was a paperclip.

And it was this item, beyond the letter, or the picture, that made Santana break down again. Standing up, Santana reached into a drawer of her wardrobe and reached in the back and pulled something out. It was a chain of paperclips, over three hundred and ninety strong, and now she had seven more to add. It was a quirky little thing that she and Brittany and Santana had started, one paperclip for every day that they were apart.

There wasn't a rhyme or reason to why they had settled on paperclips, or why they had become so important to the Latina. But for some reason, as she attached her paperclips to the every growing chain, she thought of Brittany. She thought of everything she had promised her lover and everything they were yet to do. That gave her strength, Those thoughts gave her strength.

It may be hot as fuck out here and the sleep is never the best, but it was all for a cause. It was all so that in eighty-one days she would receive an honorable discharge from the United States Marine Corps and then, finally, she could be with her girl. Forever.

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><p><em>Like? Dislike? <em>

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_Thanks, _

_Logicbomb.32_


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